


A Real Good Thing

by SwayWithMe



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 08:59:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwayWithMe/pseuds/SwayWithMe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events in Home all Rick wants to do is sleep. But with a baby crying in the middle of the night, it’s hard to do. Guess it’s a good thing Daryl’s back at the prison. A missing scene, of sorts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Real Good Thing

Rick walked in his cell and fell into the bed, the day’s events playing on repeat in his head. The Governor’s attack on the prison had shot him back into reality like nothing else. He had been out there, searching for answers, something. There had to have been some reason he was seeing Lori’s ghost. He knew he was in a bad place still but he thought he was getting better. Hershel was all about there being a reason for everything, so he just knew there was a reason he was seeing her. Then Axel was shot and the governor was attacking the prison and Rick could do nothing as walkers surrounded him. 

And then Daryl showed up out of nowhere, saving his ass, again. And taking care of the things Rick should have been taking care of, again. But he’d brought his brother with him. As he had surveyed the field filled again with walkers, Rick knew he wasn’t going to be able to force Merle to leave. He couldn’t do it to Daryl again. It was hard enough letting Daryl walk away once and he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that again, either. He’d distracted the others from Merle with the assignments of taking care of all the walkers, fixing damages in the fence, and digging a grave for Axel. They had a brief burial and then they had all retreated to their cells to get food and sleep. Rick had locked away Merle in a cell and told Daryl this is the way it’d have to be for now. They’d talk in the morning. 

Lying there in the bed, Rick finally closed his eyes ready to let sleep take him. He couldn’t have been asleep for more than an hour when Judith’s cries pierced his consciousness. His body exhausted, he forced his eyes open and the sight brought a smile to his face. The dim light from the moon revealed Daryl was in his cell, picking up Judith and turning to leave.

“S’ alright Lil Ass Kicker. Daryl’s back. Bet ya missed me, huh? Didn’t ya?”

Rick watched him leave the cell and then rose from the bed. Stretching he could hear the sounds of Daryl getting a bottle together for her. Exciting his cell, he leaned against the wall and just watched. After seeing how Daryl behaved around Carl, how much he had done to find Sophia, and what he had done for Judith the day she was born, he knew he shouldn’t be surprised to see Daryl being ready to take care of Judith as soon as he returned to the prison but it was always a surprise to see just how natural Daryl looked with his little girl. And the sight thrilled Rick more than anything. It showed how much Daryl was a part of the family they had all made. A part of his family. Yes, Rick thought. Lil ass kicker had missed him. He’d missed him too. They’d all missed him. And Rick was going to do everything in his power to make sure Daryl never felt like he had to leave again. Daryl needed them. And they needed Daryl. If that meant leaving Merle locked in a cell, then Rick would make sure that’s what they did. 

Watching Daryl speak to Judith as he rocked her back and forth, Rick couldn’t help but smile. “Ya know there’s another lil baby just like you out there. I met her today. Made sure her and her family got through safely. Merle said that was somethin’ your ole man must have taught me. She’s gonna be just fine. Maybe one day you two can meet. Would ya like that? Another little kid around here for ya to play with? That’d be better than all us old people, huh?”

He still hadn’t noticed Rick there, watching him. “She missed you, you know. Didn’t know how to explain to her why you weren’t back yet.” Startled, Daryl whipped his head around to see Rick leaning against the wall. “Told her you’d be home soon,” Rick continued, “you just had to find your way first. She moped around a bit though” 

There was a slight twitch to Daryl’s lips which made Rick smile even bigger. “See y’er ole man is ratting ya out kid. Y’er gonna have to watch all your secrets with him when ya get older.” 

Rick laughed and crossed the room to stand closer to Daryl and Judith. Running a finger across Judith’s forehead he continued on. “Oh she don’t mind. She wants you to know you aren’t allowed to leave us again. She doesn’t think we’d be able to take it again. Any of us.” 

Daryl gave Rick a sly smile. “She thinks that, huh? She tell ya that?”

Plucking Judith from Daryl’s arms, Rick nodded at him. “And she’s scared that if you aren’t here I’ll get hurt or lost. That I won’t have anyone to watch my back and keep me from getting myself killed. That Hershel would be forced to be the only one to talk any sense into me. That Glenn’s going to be forced to take over your spot as my right hand man. That Maggie and Beth will be forced to be the hunters. That Carol will be driven insane from dealing with all of us without her friend as a buffer. And I’m gonna have to teach Carl to track.”

“You can’t track for shit,” Daryl huffs. 

Rick raised his left eyebrow at Daryl and kept talking, “You can’t blame me for that one. Someone refused to answer my questions when I was trying to learn.” 

Before Daryl could respond Judith started her low snores. Rick peered down at her, kissed her head and watched her sleep as he rocked her back and forth. He then looked up and met Daryl’s eye. Trapped in that eye contact with Daryl, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. After what seemed like eternity Daryl smiled at him. “Guess I gotta stay with ya, then. Wouldn’t want to force y’er skills on that boy of yours. He’d be goin’ in circles.”

“It’s settled then. You’re staying no matter what. I’m heading to bed. S’been a long day. For you too. You should get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of stuff to figure out in the morning. And for the record, that thing on the bridge. You did a good thing, Daryl. A real good thing.” Seeing Daryl nod Rick turned and walked back to his cell.

He paused at the entrance of his cell turning around once more to look at Daryl. “Goodn—.”

“Missed her too,” Daryl interrupted, “Lil’ Ass Kicker. I missed her. Wasn’t the same out there without her. And on that bridge. It’d been easier…. better… safer…..”

Rick grinned, “If she was out there with you?”

Daryl rolled his eyes and headed to his cell, stopping to give a quick rub to Judith’s hair. “You damn well know what I meant. Night Lil Ass Kicker. Night Rick.”

“Goodnight Daryl,” Rick watched Daryl disappear into his cell. He placed Judith back into her makeshift crib and finally let him succumb to sleep knowing no matter what happened he wouldn’t have to worry about Daryl leaving them again.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never written any type of fiction, much less any type of fanfiction. Ever. But I saw this post and I had this in my head ever since and I really needed to either read it or get it written down somehow. So I had to give this a shot . It's short but it was a bit of a thrill to do. I just hope it isn’t horrible. ;-)


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